


Of Lanterns and Turtle Ducks

by quarantineddreamer



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Big Brother Sokka (Avatar), Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Engagement, F/M, Fluff, Inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender, Love, One Shot, POV Zuko (Avatar), Post-Avatar: The Last Airbender, Suki & Zuko (Avatar) Friendship, Turtleduck(s), Zuko (Avatar)-centric, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:48:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24566416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quarantineddreamer/pseuds/quarantineddreamer
Summary: AU post war where Zuko and Katara are together. Ursa, unfortunately is not alive in this universe.Zuko is preparing to propose to Katara in the garden his mom cared for so carefully, and where he and Katara first kissed 4 years ago... Featuring lots of Gaang love and support and adorable nervous Zuko, who definitely sent a letter to his uncle to ask him for advice before doing all this ;).Please let me know what you think! Feels so good to share my writing again after nearly a decade and I appreciate any support more than you could know.Stay well, everyone and best wishes!
Relationships: Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 24
Kudos: 159





	Of Lanterns and Turtle Ducks

He carefully cupped his hand close to the waxed paper of the final lantern and released a small, gentle flame into its center. He stared at it a moment longer, feeling its soft warmth on his cheeks as he brought it closer for inspection. He shut his eyes and everything was orange and red. He began a silent prayer to the spirits, and in particular, to the soul he hoped still visited the pond he had staged so carefully on this night, the anniversary of the first night. A small smile tugged at his lips. _I think you’d really, really like her Mom. I hope you’re here tonight..I think you are._ He could feel her now, as he often did in this spot, an aura that wrapped itself around him like a blanket, whispering comfort, security, encouragement, _love._

He opened his eyes and it was as though he were looking at the stars themselves. The lanterns danced in lazy circles as the light breeze propelled them across the still surface of the water. Their reflections rippled and sparkled. Fire and water united performed this most beautiful scene. 

“Wow it looks amazing!” the voice of a friend called, and he turned to see two grinning faces peering out from behind a nearby tree. Suki and Sokka -their expressions made him blush. 

“It really does!” another said in his ear, and Zuko jumped, very nearly tumbling into the pond as Aang landed quietly beside him with a whoosh, Toph climbing down from the monk’s shoulders, cackling at his response to her whisper. 

The Avatar reached up to the taller man and slapped a hearty hand onto his back. “She’s going to love it!” 

Zuko smiled at this, but didn’t reply, his stomach had begun to do flips again. “I hope so,” he mumbled. He looked again at his work. An hour or so of subtle firebending to illuminate the pond, the lotuses plucked and lining the small dock formed a pathway leading to the galaxy, and of course, the longest part had been carefully leading the turtle ducks to a temporary shelter for the night -filled with little treats and soft surfaces to snuggle in. 

The group had all drawn towards him to stand beside him by the water. They created a small circle around him and their excitement was like static in the air. They all stared expectantly, even Toph’s sightless eyes landing on him. 

“I wasn’t feeling so nervous until you all showed up,” Zuko said gruffly.

“Psh well you should be nervous, you’re going to have _Sokka_ for a brother.” Toph elbowed him playfully. 

“If she says yes…” Zuko corrected.

Sokka and Suki rolled their eyes in unison, a habit they had developed over the years. The former wrapped his arm around his wife. “She’s going to say yes. It’s a long time coming.”

Zuko supposed it was… Just two years before they had all been celebrating on a frigid night in the South Pole the union of the Kyoshi warrior and the young Water Tribe leader. He remembered how happy Katara had looked then, so giddy at the sight of her brother, all grown up, and twirling his bride about on the dance floor -stealing kisses. 

Two years before that… four years to the day, was the night Zuko had nearly died, the night Katara had saved him. 

Azula had been carried away to a secure location at Zuko’s command. He had struggled to rise, trying to find strength to command the Fire Nation soldiers that had come forward following his sister’s defeat, but Katara would have none of it. “Can you _please_ sit still?! For spirits’ sake you just took a bolt of lightning to the chest.” He lay back down when he saw that she was close to tears again.

After she gave him as much healing as she could, and he swore, repeatedly that he really was alright to move, he went about his new duties, organizing troops, setting precedent, establishing himself as their new Fire Lord. Katara sent a message to the rest of their group via hawk, and they received word back within a few hours that Ozai was defeated and in custody, everyone was okay, they had won. 

When that message had been received he and Katara had been standing in the palace. They looked at each other, almost in disbelief, and laughed, tension floating away in deep, hysterical chuckles. When that had passed, she had thrown her arms around him and buried her head into his shoulder. He had winced at the pain of her impact on his wound, but hadn’t made a sound, only encircled her in his arms and squeezed, breathed in the scent of her hair -a bit burnt from its near misses with blue fire. 

When they separated, he had wordlessly led her away from everyone, through the maze of hallways that were such a part of his childhood, to the one place he knew they would not be bothered. His mother’s garden had looked neglected compared to how it was now, but still pretty, and quiet, _peaceful_ . The sun was nearly rising, the night having flown from them in all the activity of post-war - _post-war, could it be true?_ they both thought. 

The sky was a pale blue, the faint light of dawn beginning to grace its depths, and he walked her to the shores of the pond (absent of turtle ducks in that moment) and together they sat, exhausted, and dipped bare feet in the cool liquid. She had her arms out behind her and was looking at the sky, shaking her head as though to ensure she wasn’t dreaming it all, and he thought how absolutely beautiful she was, how brave, how kind…

“Katara…” he reached for her hand and she turned her eyes upon him. Those eyes… And then, more unbelievable to him than the war finally ending, she had leaned towards him and pressed her lips to his, placed a gentle hand across his scar, and curled strong fingers in his hair. 

“Zukooooo,” Aang laughed, snapping him back to the present with a wave of his hand across the Fire Lord’s eyes. “You there, buddy?”

Zuko cleared his throat, “Uh, yes, yes, hello, Zuko, here!” His cheeks turned a magnificent scarlet shade, visible even in the dim light. 

They all took turns giving him a hug. “She’ll be here soon,” Sokka said, and gave his friend a knowing smile. “Don’t forget to breathe!” And with that they all departed. 

Zuko was more concerned his heart would forget to beat, such was the eraticism of its rhythm. He paced the dock. Soon, Suki would be approaching Katara (who was probably in her study finishing up important diplomat work) and coming up with an excuse to guide her to the garden. 

He looked out again upon the floating lanterns, then up at the moon and the true stars above him, studying them and their steadfastness for strength. A hand landed like a bird upon his shoulder, tugging him around. 

“Zuko?” she asked in wonderment. Those eyes, those sapphire orbs... they could melt greater than any firebender he had ever met. 

He took her hand and had her stand beside him, then took her other hand, and… Struggled to speak, a lump lodged in his throat. 

The questioning on her face was replaced with affection for his awkwardness. She squeezed his palms gently, supportively, then looked out at his work. “It’s so beautiful,” she whispered, “what fire and water can do together…” 

Shadows played on her face, she glowed a soft amber. Zuko felt a small tug at the bottom of his robes, and glanced down to see a stray turtle duck’s little eyes upon him. _How did it?..._ he wondered, but saw that with it was its mother, and the mother…Was he crazy? Had the oil he used on the lanterns gone to his head? The mother duck seemed to bow its head, encouraging, a signal. _Truly I am oxygen deprived...Breathe, breathe..._

Katara was studying him now, unaware of the discrete audience behind him, but she was patient, knowing that Zuko would speak when he was ready, savoring the joy building in her chest as she began to suspect what this was all for. 

Words were not yet ready to befriend him again. Instead he took one hand away from her own, and reached into his pocket feeling the cool touch of stone at his fingertips, the lick of the silk he had carefully selected. 

Slowly he knelt, bowing his head, drawing a final breath, before looking back to her. “Katara, four years ago, the world changed... but I never would’ve known peace without you. You are a current that guides me. You remind me every day of the good that exists, of its power, and of its endurance. You gave me a second chance even when I wasn’t sure I deserved one…and you helped me heal wounds in myself I wasn’t sure I could even face. You have made me a better person, the person I was fighting to find again for most my life -the one I always wanted to be.”

"Zuko…” she laughed softly, but waited for him to continue. Her eyes glimmered with tears and lantern light, but there was a smile on her lips. 

“Katara, I promise that every day I’m going to continue to prove to you that I can be worthy of the life _you_ gave me. I will support you in your ambitions to rebuild a better world and assist in every way I can. I will comfort you no matter what may come our way. I will stand beside you, Katara,” his voice broke, but he kept going, _almost there…_ “Katara, I love you, now and always. Will you, uh… Will you marry me?” He held out a shaky hand. Balanced along his fingers was a silvery stone carved with a combined symbol of the sun and moon, clasped carefully to a line of inky silk. And despite Sokka’s advice, he was certain that he was holding his breath, his heart galloping in his chest. 

She grabbed the necklace from him and dropped to her knees beside him, placing her elbows on his shoulders and her hands on both his flushed cheeks. “Yes, _Fire Lord_ Zuko,” she laughed. “I will marry you. Of course, I will!” 

His nerves evaporated and a smile, so big it hurt his cheeks, flashed onto his face. He kissed her deeply at first, drinking her in, then repeatedly, until she scrunched her nose and began to giggle at his teasing. 

“YAY!” came a hoot from up on the roof. Katara and Zuko followed the sound to see the short figure of Aang standing atop the palace, arms triumphantly stretched to the night sky. 

The couple laughed as one by one the sheepish faces of their friends appeared. Suki and Sokka both shrugged, and Toph clapped, none-too-guilty at being caught spying. One by one Aang bent them down from their hiding place. They all raced to Zuko and Katara, talking over each other in their “Congratulations” and “Finally!”s. 

When finally a lapse in the chatter had come, Sokka frowned. “Wait...Did you say yes?” he asked his sister, pointing an accusing finger at her neck, which still had their mother’s jewelry upon it. 

Katara gave the blue carving a fond squeeze one last time, then slowly unknotted it and moved it to her right wrist, her brother assisting her in securing it firmly in its new spot. Then she handed the bethorthal piece back to Zuko and turned her back to him, pulling her hair over her shoulder as she did so, leaving her neck exposed. He gave the exposed skin a small kiss before reaching round to tie the new pendant to her. When he was finished, she turned and gave him a goofy grin and another cheerful kiss. They parted, but he refused to let her stray too far, holding her back against him, arms draped over her shoulders, as she swayed happily and started talking wedding plans with their friends.

Eventually, even the exhilaration of the engagement was not enough to keep the gang awake. They all began to drift off to their beds. Katara and Zuko trailed behind everyone else, Zuko holding her hand and allowing his arm to stretch as he slowed to take one last look at the garden. The lanterns were still a tapestry of light against the black of the pond, a mirror to another world. _Thank you,_ he thought quietly to the presence that he felt always guiding him whenever he stood in that magical place, and then together he and his bride-to-be, bumping playfully against each other, laughter echoing in the quiet of late-night, made their way to their bed. 

The little turtle duck waddled back to the sanctuary the Fire Lord had built for them, and the mother… Emitting a faint blue light she shifted into the elegant form of a woman dressed in magnificent robes, gazing fondly at the retreating figures of her son and his love, before fading away, following the path the lanterns made to the spirit world...  
  



End file.
